Under the Starry Night
by TamyG
Summary: The Summit War has passed and while Luffy is still recovering, a former Shichibukai decided to pay him a visit. Spoiler: Post-War Arc
_"I won't accept this. You are not allowed to die, did you hear me. I don't remember being defeated by such a worthless person. Live, Mugiwara."_

* * *

"My nakama." Luffy cried out as he stared at his bandaged hands, "I want to see them!"

"You will, Luffy-kun." Jinbe replied with a soft smile. Seeing how the boy had finally found his will to live on was a relief. "But first you must allow your wounds to heal. Sadly, I'm sure our little struggle has opened a wound or two. Law-kun will definitely be mad."

 **Later that night**

"Aaaah- Aaaaah…That Law guy was toootally pissed off." Luffy mumbled as he climbed into his makeshift bed, "Shishsishi- The food was good though. I'm full!" He patted his over-bulged belly with the widest grin adorning his face.

Luffy's so called bed was a bunch of rags bundled up together over what seemed like a raft, though he didn't really mind sleeping on the grass, in the open air. Yes, the way he used to take naps with his Brothers, Ace and Sabo, years ago. Or during those lazy afternoons, on the grassy deck of Sunny with his nakama.

"I really want to see them." Luffy whispered as he reached out with one hand to the starry sky. "Zoro. Nami. Usopp. Sanji. Chopper. Robin. Franky. Brook. I promise we will meet again. I promise."

* * *

 _"For loving me..."_

 _He trailed off as one final sob escaped his lips, and before his body could surrender to eternal sleep,_

 _"Thank you!"_

* * *

"ACE!" Luffy cried out as he abruptly woke up from his sleep. Cold sweat beads covered his face and trailed along his back. Bitter tears trickled down his cheeks. His heart hammered loudly in his chest.

"I-I'm sorry…" The captain of the Mugiwara pirates buried his face in his palms, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you...Ace…"

Huddled up in his corner, Luffy didn't have the will to stop his tears. He had a lot to live for, as the former Shichibukai made him realize. But the wound of losing his brother was yet fresh. How can he over come such misfortune in one night?

"Who is there?!" Luffy panted, his head darting from one side to the other.

"Took you a while to notice."

"This voice."

"Mugiwara."

"Wani?"

"Kuhahahahaha." The former leader of Baroque Works laughed as an approximately three meters tall body slowly formed in front of the young pirate.

"What are you doing here?" Luffy asked as he wiped his tears with his forearm.

"Obviously to see how pathetic you've become." Crocodile retorted with disgust.

"It is none of your business." Luffy objected. Standing on his feet he assumed a defensive stance. "You shouldn't be here."

"Or what?" Crocodile scoffed as he saw how the rash boy was ready to open both old wounds and new ones. "Aren't you something, thinking you could fight me in this state." Crocodile took a deep inhale of his cigar, and as he let out the smoke a smirk spread across his face, "Kuhahaha- Foolish boy." He lifted up his hand, and crudely gestured for Luffy to get lost, "I'm not interested in worthless crybabies."

"Screw you!" Luffy shouted and pointed an angry finger at the tall man, "Like a bastard like you would know how it feels to lose someone precious!"

"Comments like this just prove how right I am." Crocodile replied bluntly with a shrug, "Cheh- Useless kid. And here I thought you had it in you. You lost your brother, so what?"

"Shut…up…"

"He is not even your real brother."

"Shut up…"

"One of the greatest war of our time and for what? A worthle-"

"SHUT UP!" Luffy interrupted with raging anger, and charged toward the man who had just dared to insult his brother.

However before Luffy's fist could reach the man, and for a split of a second, he saw something form in front of him that sent him flying. Fortunately enough, he dropped right above his makeshift bed, which cushioned his fall. Yet before he could recover, a hand gripped him from the top of his sleeveless blue vest and yanked him up.

Luffy struggled to release himself. His eyes shot up angrily to face the man restraining him and were met with likewise angry features.

"Shut the fuck up! And listen to my words carefully you ignorant fool!" Crocodile seethed with immeasurable annoyance, "Yes. You are right. I don't know how it feels to lose someone or anything precious at that matter. And do you know why is that? Because it becomes your damn weakness! And weakness is what I loathe the most!" The ring adorned fist tightened, "But you are obviously an idiot. So let me give you a piece of advice. Before you can label anyone or anything 'precious', you must fucking earn it! You must be strong enough to protect the weakness you've created!"

Luffy's clutched teeth trembled at each of Crocodile's words. While the latter paused for a moment to catch his breathe. He was greatly annoyed, and the source of this annoyance was none but himself. First Shirohige, and now Mugiwara? How did he lose against such worthless, weak creatures? Doesn't that make him even weaker?

The former Shichibukai closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. He opened his eyes once again, his features turned passive. "If you have something to protect, protect it right." He continued calmly but with utter disgust, "And if you have time to cry, then you haven't trained enough."

"Shut up…" Luffy replied with a trembling jaw, "You don't understand…"

"That you are not mourning your brother-"

"Release me…" Luffy interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest.

"-as much as your lack of power?" Crocodile continued with a condescending tone.

"RELEASE ME!" Luffy shouted at the top of his lung.

"Hmm- Interesting." Crocodile mumbled as a sly smile tugged at the corner of his lips. ' _He really does possess Haōshoku Haki_.'

The tall man dropped Luffy indifferently, sending him slamming onto the hard ground. He walked pass the boy, and towards the makeshift bed. ' _How unsightly._ ' Crocodile though, ' _But for a man who spent months in a dirty, cold prison…_ ' He sighed as he patted the bundled up rugs and sat, waiting for the boy's next move.

Luffy quivered, as he slowly stood up, overwhelmed with emotions. "Why…?" He asked, but his voice was weak and barely audible.

"Hmm?" Crocodile wondered with a slightly tilted head.

The young boy remained silent as he staggered in Crocodile's direction, eyes glued to the ground. He kept his silence for a while as he took seat next to the former Shichibukai.

After quite sometime, Crocodile began to feel rather restless by the boy's silence. Just when he was about to complain the boy spoke, "Why would someone like you understand…?"

 _'Someone like me?'_ Crocodile thought with a frown.

"For someone who doesn't care about anyone but himself." Luffy continued as he stared at his helpless hands, "I hate it." He clasped his hands into fists and clenched his teeth in despair, "I hate that you are right." He lowered his head a covered his eyes with his fists, "Dammit…"

Crocodile turned his sight away from the pitiful boy. His chin rested on the palm of his hand while the hooked one rested on his lap. He blew out a smoke before he bluntly said, "Of course I'm."

Another moment of awkward silent passed before Luffy decided to speak. "I take back what I said earlier." He said as he looked at the man who simply smoked while staring at nothing in particular, "You lost something, didn't you?"

"Who knows?" Crocodile replied almost immediately, yet indifferently.

Luffy frowned before his face lit up as he remembered something, "By the way, what did you mean by 'interesting'?"

"Hmmm…" Crocodile's reply came accompanied by a mischievous smirk and a slightly tilted his head so he could look at the curious boy. "Who knows?"

"Eeeeh- Tell me what was interesting?!" Luffy sulked while Crocodile just ignored him. "Oooooi Waaaaani! Tell me! Tell me! Tell meeeeee!"

Crocodile's eyebrow twitched at the boy's relentless nagging. He stared down at Luffy with a dark look looming over his face, "Aren't you mistaking me for someone who gives a rat's ass?"

Luffy stared back defiantly, "Cheh- Cheapskate." He squinted his eyes at the older man, "Why are you even here?"

"Who-"

"Gaaaaaaah!"Luffy interrupted with frustration. With hands crossed under his heads, he threw himself backwards and shouted, "GOOD NIGHT!"

Crocodile let out a sarcastic chuckle _'Seriously…'_ he thought and looked up at the starry sky, _'Who knows?'_

 **Two years later, on the deck of Sunny Go**

"EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Usopp, Nami and Sanji shouted in unison. While Robin merely chuckled in pure amusement, "Interesting."

"Shishishishishi-" The Captain of the Mugiwara pirates laughed proudly.

"O-oo-ooiii, Luffy!" Sanji stammered with a shaky finger pointing at the boy, "Yy-y-you! What did you just do? Why? I mean do you even know what you just did?"

"Hmmm- Of course I do!" Luffy replied with a pout, "I kissed Zoro."

"And why in the hell did you do that?" Nami shouted, overwhelmed by both confusion and embarrassment.

"I don't get why you are all surprised." Luffy titled his head, confusion written all over his face. "Zoro was pissed off, so I kissed him. See his not pissed of anymore."

"Of course he isn't!" Usopp shouted, "Look at him! His body is literally shutting down!"

"Zoroooo!" Chopper cried out as he frantically tried to revive the fallen samurai.

"Hmmmm-" Luffy scratched his head as he contemplated on where he went wrong. "But I thought a kiss makes you happy."

"Who even taught you that?" Usopp asked with hands clasped over his cheeks in disbelief.

"Well… when I was on Amazon Lilly, someone pissed me off. And that someone kissed me. When I asked why, that person said it's a charm to make me feel better." Luffy simply replied.

"Oi-oi Luffy!" Sanji placed a hand over his Captain's shoulder, and looked at him with a twitching eyebrow, "Did you say Amazon Lilly?"

"Hm!" Luffy nodded with a grin.

The blond cook dropped down on his knee with despair, "While I was on that damn island…" He sobbed, "Our idiot Captain was…"

"Oi! Sanji I heard that!" Luffy frowned before his expression suddenly lit up, as he seemed to finally discover where things went wrong, "I forgot to use my tongue!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


End file.
